Avianca, a Star Alliance airline, based in Colombia, has launched a new Cuber Sale, spanning both Black Friday and Cyber Monday, to buy LifeMiles with up to a 160% bonus through December 2, 2022.
LifeMiles members can buy up to 200,000 miles yearly (before any possible bonus), and the maximum bonus under this sale is 160%. Potential buyers should be aware of recent tricks Avianca has used to discourage award redemptions (blocking them)
You can access this offer on the LifeMiles website here.
The bonus depends on the number of miles purchased:
- 1,000-20,000 – 140% Bonus
- 21,000-50,000 – 150% Bonus
- 51,000-200,000 – 160% Bonus
This price of purchasing 500,000 miles (including bonus):
The cost of a LifeMiles under this sale, when purchased at a 150% bonus, is 1.27 US cents each. The lowest price Avianca sold LifeMiles in 2021 was 1.2 cents each.
Word Of Warning
There have been consistent issues finding award space and issuing tickets using LifeMiles. Clearly, this has been intentional on LifeMiles’ part (less money going out). However, I would be very hesitant to purchase LifeMiles unless you have instantaneous use and award space can be booked using Avianca’s miles.
Conclusion
These miles can come in handy for premium cabin redemptions and are usually the cheapest Star Alliance miles that one can buy.
The price under this sale is the lowest that Avianca has sold in 2022, but still higher compared to 2021. There could be an additional flash discount on Cyber Monday, like in previous years.
Avianca is transforming into an LCC and has removed business class from all the routes in the Americas except Los Angeles. However, the airline continues to offer a business class product to Europe. It is also merging with a similar Brazilian low-cost airline GOL.
I would NOT buy LifeMiles to bank them for future use, as the situation surrounding Avianca is fluid, and their recent blocking of partner awards. However, I could entertain purchasing a small amount for immediate use for awards that can be currently booked on their platform.
These are the terms and conditions of this offer:
This promotion is exclusive for LifeMiles members that have received this email directly from LifeMiles.
This promotion applies for miles purchases made between November 21st and December 2nd, 2022 (12.00 GMT -6, El Salvador).
The bonus applies as follows: for purchases from 1,000 – 20,000 LifeMiles receive 140%, for purchases from 21,000 – 50,000 LifeMiles receive 150% additional miles, for purchases from 51,000 – 200,000 LifeMiles receive 160% additional miles.
The miles must be purchased in multiples of 1,000.
The minimum miles to purchase per transaction is 1,000 LifeMiles.
The maximum miles to purchase per transaction during this promotion is 200,000 LifeMiles. Additionally, the maximum miles that a member can receive during the promotion, including applicable bonuses is 520,000 miles, minus the miles that the member has previously purchased in 2022 and their respective bonuses. The purchase transaction cannot be made if the amount of miles to purchase and the corresponding bonus, including all miles purchased in 2022, including the bonuses, exceed the 520,000 miles limit, unless the amount of miles to receive without applying the promotional bonus is less or equal to 520,000 miles, in which case, the transaction will be processed but no bonus will be granted, giving such warning to the member.
The maximum amount of miles to receive by a member through the purchase of miles per calendar year outside of this promotion is 200,000 LifeMiles including any bonus miles received. If the member surpasses the limit, through purchases made during this promotion and other purchases in 2022, taking into account the bonuses received for those purchases, he or she will not be able to purchase any more miles outside of promotional periods until the next calendar year.
Each package of 1,000 LifeMiles is US$33.00 without applicable taxes and US$40.26* including applicable taxes according to country of the mailing address registered in the LifeMiles database
The purchase of miles is not reversible or refundable, except in countries where this right is granted by applicable law, such as the right to retraction in Colombia, in the cases where it applies. The purchase of miles is an immediate execution contract. Once the payment is made, the miles will be accrued immediately on the member’s account. As of that moment, the miles can be used according to the terms and conditions of the LifeMiles Program.
Miles are not endorsable.
Miles purchase is available through Avianca’s Call Centers, LifeMiles.com and Avianca Information Centers. For residents of Venezuela, it is only available through LifeMiles.com. Only form of payment through Avianca’s Call Center and LifeMiles.com: credit card or international debit card. Cash payments are only allowed at Avianca’s Information Centers. The receipt of the transaction will reflect the total number of miles accrued to the member´s account, including the bonus miles and the total charge for the transaction.
The miles purchased and earned with this promotion do not apply to achieve or maintain the Elite status.
Does not apply to the Flexible Redemption (LifeMiles + Money) during the payment process of air ticket redemption.
Miles purchased, once accrued, can be redeemed in accordance with the conditions specified in the LifeMiles Program Terms and Conditions and the portfolio of products and services available for redemption.
LifeMiles Terms and Conditions apply. Available at LifeMiles.com
LifeMiles is a trademark of LifeMiles LTD
*The values are settled based on the exchange rate of the date of the transaction. The price can be lower depending on the correspondence country entered on the Member´s profile in their LifeMiles account.
